Clothes-draining device.



PATENTED MAR. 31; 19.03.

C. SHEFFERD. CLOTHES DRAINING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1902.

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Wihyzss es UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

CHARLES SHEFFERD, OF .COON RAPIDS, IOWA.

CLOTH ES-DRAINI'NG -DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 724,131, dated March 31, 1903. Application filed October 21, 1902. Serial No. 128,194. (No modeL) T0 otZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SHEFFERD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coon Rapids, in the county of Carroll and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Draining Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to attachments for washboilers, and has for its object the production of a simple, light, and easily-constructed receptacle or basket for the clothes whereby they may be supported free from direct contact with. the boiler and so arranged that when the clothes are sufficiently boiled the device may be elevated and suspended from the edge of the boiler above the water to permit the clothes to drain before being deposited in the tub or other receptacle.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a "perspective view of the device complete wit-h one of the handle members folded beneath it in the position it will occupy when the device is not in use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device applied to the upper portion of an ordinary washboiler. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are enlarged sectional detailsillustratin g the construction of different parts of the device.

The improved device consists of a base member 10, preferably constructed of a metal band disposed vertically and provided with a plurality of spaced-apertures 11, the apertures nearest the ends of the band provided with a looped link 12, forming a coupling to complete the band and render it endless, as indicated.

The side members of the device are formed of curved rods 13, preferably semicircular in shape and preferably three in number on each side, the central rod being the longest and the remaining rods lapping past the central rod and interlaced therewith, as shown. The ends of the rods 13 are passed through the perforations 11 from the outside of the band and bent around the lower edge of the band and carried upward from the outside, as shown at 23 in Fig. 3. The perforations 11, with which the rods 13 engage, are preferably placed near-the top of the band 10, so that comparatively long portions of the ends of the rods extend in engagement with the outer surface of the base-band, as shown in Fig. 3.

The bottom member of the device consist; of diagonally-disposed rods alternately engaging the loops of the side rods beneath the base-band, the rods indicated at 14 and the spaced longitudinal rods 15 engaging the perforations 11 in the ends of the band member and interwoven with the transverse diagonally-disposed rods, as shown. By this means a structure is formed having curved open- Work side rods and an open-work lattice-like arrangement of rods forming the bottom thereof,the whole formingabasket-like structure for supporting the clothes in the boiler in position to permit the water to freely percolate through them and also to drain therefrom when the device is supported above the boiler in the water, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The diagonally-disposed bottom rods are preferably two in number, one starting at 16 and carried alternately back and forth across the base-band and engaging every alternate looped end of the side rods 13 and ending at 19, and the other rod starting at 18 and carried alternately back and forth across the base-bandand engaging the remaining looped ends of the side rods and ending at 17,as shown in Fig. 1.

The longitudinal rods 15 are spaced apart and looped through perforations 11 at the ends of the base-band, as at. 20, and interwoven with the diagonal brace-rods 14, as

shown. The diagonally-disposed transverse rods and the longitudinal rods thus mutually support each other, the whole forming a.lat-

materially increasing the hold between the side rods and the band member and correspondingly increasing the resisting power.

By arranging the transverse rods diagonally between the sides of the base-band they become diagonal braces reversely disposed and greatly stiffen and strengthen the structure.

The device is provided with handle members formed in substantially U shape inverted, with the ends of the leg members passed through the perforations 11 from outside the band 10 and looped around the lower edge, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. By this arrangementthehandlemembers maybe turned inward beneath the device when not in use, as indicated at the right in Fig. .1, or turned into a substant ially vertical position, as shown at the left in Fig. 1 and in Fig.2, but will be pre"ented from turning inward above the ,itructure by engaging the outer upper edge of the band member, as will be obvious. Thus when the device is in operation the handle members cannot fall inward into the hot water in the boiler, but will be maintained at all times in position convenient to the hands of the operator. The handle members will be provided with one or more intermediate loops 22, adapted to engage the edge of the boiler 21, as indicated in Fig. 2, and thus suspend the structure near the top of the boiler and above the water therein to permit the clothes to be drained. These loops 22 will not in any manner interfere with the operation of the device when the structure is in the lower part of the boiler or when in operation.

The device may be constructed to fit any size of boiler, and the side rods and the rods forming the bottom member may be of any size and spaced any desired distance apart, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to any specific number of the rods.

The parts may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. The parts will be of metal and will preferably be galvanized to prevent corrosion or may be of noncorrosive metal.

By the use of this device the clothes are maintained out of direct contact with the boiler in position for the water to freely circulate around them while boiling, which is a very important advantage, as the time required to effect the desired results is thereby greatly decreased.

The handle members will be long enough to extend above the waterin the boiler when in use, but will not be long enough to prevent the placing of the cover'in position upon the boiler in the ordinary manner, so that in using this improved device no change Whatever will be required in the boiler.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A clothes supporting and draining attachmentfor washboilers, consisting of a base member formed of an endless band of a substantially fiat-bar shape vertically disposed and provided with spaced perforations, side members formed of curved rods engaging said perforations by passing therethrongh from the outside and bent around the bottom of the band from the inside outward and upward, and bottom members formed of transversely-disposed rods alternately engaging the loops of said side members beneath said base member.

2. A clothes support and draining attachment for washboilers consisting of a base member formed of an endless band provided with spaced perforations, side members formed of curved rods looped by their ends in said perforations, and a bottom member formed of two reversely-disposed rods alternately engaging the loops of said side members, and longitudinally-disposed rods looped through the perforations in said base member and woven through the diagonally-disposed transverse rods.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SHEFFERD.

Witnesses:

O. A. BAKER, JNo. A. DIXON. 

